§ 105-164.16.  Returns and payment of taxes.

(a) General. - Sales and use taxes are payable when a return is due. A return is due quarterly or monthly as specified in this section. A return must be filed with the Secretary on a form prescribed by the Secretary and in the manner required by the Secretary. A return must be signed by the taxpayer or the taxpayer's agent.

A sales tax return must state the taxpayer's gross sales for the reporting period, the amount and type of sales made in the period that are exempt from tax under G.S. 105-164.13 or are elsewhere excluded from tax, the amount of tax due, and any other information required by the Secretary. A use tax return must state the purchase price of items that were purchased or received during the reporting period and are subject to tax under G.S. 105-164.6, the amount of tax due, and any other information required by the Secretary. Returns that do not contain the required information will not be accepted. When an unacceptable return is submitted, the Secretary will require a corrected return to be filed.

(b) Quarterly. - A taxpayer who is consistently liable for less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) a month in State and local sales and use taxes must file a return and pay the taxes due on a quarterly basis. A quarterly return covers a calendar quarter and is due by the last day of the month following the end of the quarter.

(b1) Monthly. - A taxpayer who is consistently liable for at least one hundred dollars ($100.00) but less than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) a month in State and local sales and use taxes must file a return and pay the taxes due on a monthly basis. A monthly return is due by the 20th day of the month following the calendar month covered by the return.

(b2) Prepayment. - A taxpayer who is consistently liable for at least twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) a month in State and local sales and use taxes must make a monthly prepayment of the next month's tax liability. The prepayment is due on the date a monthly return is due. The prepayment must equal at least sixty-five percent (65%) of any of the following:

(1) The amount of tax due for the current month.

(2) The amount of tax due for the same month in the preceding year.

(3) The average monthly amount of tax due in the preceding calendar year.

(b3) Category. - The Secretary must monitor the amount of State and local sales and use taxes paid by a taxpayer or estimate the amount of taxes to be paid by a new taxpayer and must direct each taxpayer to pay tax and file returns as required by this section. In determining the amount of taxes due from a taxpayer, the Secretary must consider the total amount due from all places of business owned or operated by the same person as the amount due from that person. A taxpayer must file a return and pay tax in accordance with the Secretary's direction.

(c) Repealed by Session Laws 2001-427, s. 6(a), effective January 1, 2002, and applicable to taxes levied on or after that date.

(d) Use Tax on Purchases. - Use tax payable by an individual who purchases an item, other than a boat or aircraft, for a nonbusiness purpose is due on an annual basis. For an individual who is not required to file an individual income tax return under Part 2 of Article 4 of this Chapter, the annual reporting period ends on the last day of the calendar year and a use tax return is due by the following April 15. For an individual who is required to file an individual income tax return, the annual reporting period ends on the last day of the individual's income tax year, and the use tax must be paid on the income tax return as provided in G.S. 105-269.14.

(e) Simultaneous State and Local Changes. - When State and local sales and use tax rates change on the same date because one increases and the other decreases but the combined rate does not change, sales and use taxes payable on the following periodic payments are reportable in accordance with the changed State and local rates:

(1) Lease or rental payments billed after the effective date of the changes.

(2) Installment sale payments received after the effective date of the changes by a taxpayer who reports the installment sale on a cash basis. (1957, c. 1340, s. 5; 1967, c. 1110, s. 6; 1973, c. 476, s. 193; 1979, c. 801, s. 83; 1983 (Reg. Sess., 1984), c. 1097, s. 14; 1985, c. 656, s. 26; 1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 1007; 1987, c. 557, s. 6; 1989 (Reg. Sess., 1990), c. 945, s. 1; 1991, c. 690, s. 4; 1993, c. 450, s. 7; 1997-77, s. 1; 1998-121, s. 1; 1999-341, s. 1; 2000-120, s. 11; 2001-347, s. 2.14; 2001-414, s. 18; 2001-427, s. 6(a); 2001-430, s. 7; 2002-184, ss. 10, 11;  2003-284, ss. 44.1, 45.8; 2003-416, s. 26; 2005-276, s. 33.24; 2006-162, s. 5(b); 2006-33, s. 9; 2007-527, ss. 11, 12; 2008-134, s. 11; 2009-451, s. 27A.3(b), (c), (m); 2010-31, s. 31.3(a)-(d); 2010-95, s. 42; 2011-330, s. 21; 2019-169, s. 3.3(p); 2020-58, s. 3.2.)